The Great Awakening: Zeus' Bane
by Squishie
Summary: A side story of The Great Awakening, this is a short story about Zeus' relationship with Hera.


Author's Note: You do not have to read the novel _The Great Awakening_ to understand what's going on in this side story, but rather this explains a bit more within the novel. There are a lot of things going on in TGA, things I want to expand on and go into more detail, but it is impossible to without dragging the story out even longer than it already is (and getting side-tracked). So, here is something I've been meaning to put out there a bit more: in TGA, Poseidon and Zeus hint at a prophecy that has haunted them for centuries. This is the explanation of that prophecy, how they got it and how it effected Zeus and Hera's relationship.

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><p>"You are so preoccupied with that damned prophecy that you will ruin <em>everything<em> to prevent it!" Hera shouted as clenched her hands tightly, avoiding everything in her power to destroy the vase on the table near her. She was sealed in her room with Zeus, who had come to confront Hera for the death of yet another mortal lover. He's angered face lightened for a moment, surprised she would bring up the subject, but he shook his head to regain control of his expressions.

"**Don't** change the subject!"

"I'm not!" she hissed back, stepping towards him as she reached a finger out to point at him. "You think all your predecessors have been faithful to their wives and it cost them everything!"

"Did it not?" he boomed in reply, throwing his arms into the air as he turned around for a moment, turning his back on her. Without him looking at her, Hera was able to pause for a moment, her face reflecting the hurt that settled in; it had only been a theory of hers, but to hear there was truth in it hurt worse than any mortal lover before. She furrowed her eyebrows, her face masking the pain with anger as she placed a hand on the vase, once more tempted.

"Get out," she ordered lowly, her tone somehow calm but on the brink of more. Zeus spun around, glaring at her as the sky around them rumbled in disagreement.

"No, we finish this –"

"GET OUT!" she screamed as her fingers curled around the edge of the vase. Before the thunderous god had a second to think, the vase had shattered against his face.

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><p>In the early days of the Olympian reign, the old gods were not so isolated from the rest. The court was frequented by guests from all ages, creeds and lands, many to welcome Zeus to his rightful throne and pay their respects to the powerful six. Hestia had learned to avoid much of the praise and honor, feeling see deserved none for she fought little. Hera and Demeter were humble, praising their brothers for their victory and lessening their own triumphs in battle. Neither Zeus or Poseidon noticed, glad to revel in the songs and prose that honored them, while Hades took it simply and noted everything.<p>

It was not long before their court flourished with celebration a second time, for Zeus and Hera officially wed and fortified the Olympians as the new race to rule. Their number had only grown to seven, inviting the illusive Aphrodite to their circle for fear of having her as an enemy. She seemed harmless enough, often causing modest women to blush and men to burst. She had no interest in rules and regulations, only attending meetings when forced to. When Hera was to give birth for the first time, the top of Olympus was bursting with energy. Hestia had fanned the flames, causing the entire marble city to glow as the populous eagerly awaited news.

Hades had even come to celebrate, bringing his close and elder friend Hecate along. She was finely decorated in many beads, artifacts and markings on her body, giving many pause to look and she rubbed a crystal that hung near her collar bone as she followed close behind her king.

"I don't see what all the fuss is about," the witch goddess mumbled. "The babe is a -

"Shh," Hades waved his hand to silence her, grinning all the same. "Don't say anything. You'll ruin the surprise."

"I could ruin it some more," she pressed as her thumb rubbed a circle on the crystal. "The name, the child's prowess, the –"

"_Hecate_," her lord warned and she bowed her head, both in submission and to hide her grin. Upon entering the great chambers, he was greeted by Poseidon and Demeter flirting, clear by the goddess' blush when they were caught.

"Hades!" she announced, causing Poseidon to look over with a half-disappointed look. She stood up and opened her arms out wide, smiling to invite him over despite Poseidon's demeanor and Hades embraced his sister, winking at his brother in the meantime.

"Good to see you, Demeter," he quietly replied and as they released, Demeter moved to hug Hecate as well. The witch goddess was immediately confused, not used to such familiarity with anyone and obliged all the same, but only confusion lined her looks.

"Is Zeus with Hera?" Hades asked and Poseidon burst out laughing, causing Demeter to elbow him.

"No, he is…" she began to explain and her voice trailed off; evidently she was searching for a reasonable explanation for his absence and found none.

"Come, brother," the sea god stepped in, his laugh still lingering. "We have much to discuss."

Hecate shot Hades a glare as he left her behind, but he pretended not to notice, following along side his brother quietly, confused by the humor he found in the situation. Poseidon put his hand on Hades' shoulder as they walked, awaiting their steps to take them far enough away from any wanting ears.

"Our brother is in distress," Poseidon began quietly, though any seriousness in his tone was noticeably absent. Hades frowned, wondering which was worse: that Zeus could not find a way to celebrate the birth of his first born child, or that Poseidon found this funny. "It seems our kind – gods, that is – are doomed to follow a pattern. Or so he sees. His own downfall is written in our father and his father before him."

"How so?" Hades asked, biting back his doubt and judgment.

"Their wives, brother!" Poseidon roared with a smile on his face, finding in this moment the most humorous of it all. "Ouranus might have been cut by his son, but who gave him the scythe? Who crafted the plan? Gaia. Father was more ingenious, keeping his enemies close to him –" As if Hades needed explanation, the sea god pat his own stomach. "But even that could not stop our mother."

"They were abusive," Hades sighed, finding no slight humor in any of this. Having been the brother to suffer their terrible youth inside Kronos the longest, the god had no smiles for recounting those years. "Gaia and mother did it out of love for their children."

"And undermined their authorities as kings," the sea god pressed, showing a hint of agreement with Zeus's thought process. Hades shook his head, appalled to be hearing this on the eve of a celebratory birth.

"As tyrants," he corrected. Sighing, Hades rubbed his eyes as he regretted the events leading their youngest sibling to rule. Though he had no eyes for the throne himself, the underworld god could only hear immaturity reigning high in this discussion. "Then why marry at all?"

"Love, I suppose," Poseidon shrugged. "You know he and Hera are a good match, both in personality and strength. She makes a fine queen – but it seems he would prefer her barren."

Before Hades could speak again, the pair were in front of their brother's gloriously decorated door. It was made of marble with golden hues depicting his rightful rise to power by saving his siblings from their father. The two ignored the odious ego the door flaunted and opened it, revealing Zeus at his desk, hunched over a document. He turned, waving his brothers in and they obliged, closing the door behind them.

"The prophecy," Zeus quietly explained, lifting the very paper he had been toiling over. Poseidon and Hades glanced to each other before the underworld god stepped forward, taking it from Zeus to read it.

_Tyrants raised by tyrants' hands_

_A loving mother is not denied;_

_A cycle done in one command –_

_He writes his doom upon his bride._

_The foolish king breeds his judge:_

_A son to rise, the father to fall_

_The mother loved is not begrudged._

_No god escapes, blood conquers all._

"Moros wrote it down a long time ago. Ouranos never heard it, but Kronos knew it well," Zeus groaned to himself as he took another drink of his wine. "Hera will betray me."

"Nonsense!" Poseidon burst out, grabbing the prophecy from Hades and throwing down upon the desk. "This is foolish! Get up!"

"NO GOD ESCAPES!" Zeus roared as he stood up, throwing the cup into the air and causing the wine to fly everywhere; Hades flinched as it spilled on his face. Zeus slammed the now empty cup against Poseidon's chest. "It's inevitable!"

"Zeus," Hades interrupted, grabbing his brother's arm but the thunder god pulled out of his grasp, bursting out in an animalistic roar to convey his frustration.

"She will BETRAY me, brothers!" he tried to stress, but his drinking had taken over his mouth. He was unable to adequately describe himself or his thought process, so his shouts and groans did the work for him. At first when Hades moved to calm him again, Zeus seemed to calm, but it was fleeting; he yelled out in aggravation, pushing his brother to the ground and causing Poseidon to jump in to his defense. The two wrestled on their feet before Hades tackled Zeus from behind, causing all three of them to fall to the ground. Zeus yelled out again, becoming enraged that his brothers would dare defy him and kicked his leg furiously into Poseidon's gut. The sea god groaned but did not relent, pulling him into a headlock while Hades grabbed his arms and held them from behind. They struggled and Zeus pulled, but it was no use; they had good positions on him and he was too drunk to do anything but squirm. As he was calming down, there was a knock on the door and all three suddenly let go of each other. The door slowly creaked open but no one appeared; instead, Hestia's quiet voice announced it: "She has given. A son named Ares."

The three sat on the ground as the door then creaked closed and they sat in silence, staring at the door. As the news spread, the cheers of celebration began filling the halls and the partying at once began. Unmoved, the brothers sat together listening to the music and dancing, surrounded by the jovial feeling that only increased the isolated ominous setting of the room. Zeus suddenly sighed, lowering his head as he covered his face with his hands.

"She will betray me."


End file.
